Officially!

Ex-Bayern star Alonso is the new coach in Leverkusen - Swiss Seoane fired

Created: 06/10/2022 09:41

By: Patrick Mayer, Christoph Klaucke

Xabi Alonso replaces unsuccessful Gerardo Seoane as Bayer 04 Leverkusen coach.

The Swiss has to go after a messed up start to the season.

Ex-Bayern player Alonso returns to the Bundesliga.

• Bayer Leverkusen

  separates from

  Gerardo Seoane

  : Schweizer has to go after a sporting descent.

• Ex-Munich Xabi Alonso

  takes over: Former FC Bayern player becomes the new coach of the “Werkself”.

Update from October 5th, 6:50 p.m.:

Now it's official!

Bayer Leverkusen has announced the separation from coach Gerardo Seoane.

According to the club, the new coach will be Xabi Alonso.

The 40-year-old Spaniard played a total of 117 competitive games (nine goals and twelve assists) for FC Bayern between 2014 and 2017.

During this time he was German champion three times in a row with the Munich team and once the DFB Cup winner (2016).

After his engagement in the Isar metropolis, Alonso ended his playing career.

He gained his first coaching experience as a youth coach at his former club Real Madrid.

Between 2019 and 2022 he oversaw Real Sociedad's second team.

Before this season, the European champion (2008, 2012) and world champion (2010) was already under discussion at Gladbach.

Bayer Leverkusen separates from Gerardo Seoane - Schweizer has to go after a sporting descent

Predecessor Seoane had slipped into a deep sporting crisis with the “Werkself” in the past few weeks.

After just five points from the first eight games of the season, the Rhinelanders are second to last in the Bundesliga (17th).

Bayer 04 only took three points from the first three group games in the Champions League.

In addition, the club failed spectacularly in the first round of the DFB Cup to third division promoted SV Elversberg (3: 4).

Ex-Munich Xabi Alonso takes over: Former FC Bayern player becomes the new coach of the “Werkself”

The 43-year-old Swiss Seoane started coaching in Leverkusen on July 1, 2021.

Previously, he had won the championship in his home country three times in a row (2019, 2020, 2021) with the BSC Young Boys from Bern, impressively replacing the series champions FC Basel.

Despite finishing third in the Bundesliga, there were setbacks in his first season at Bayer 04.

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The West Germans lost in the second round of the DFB Cup at home against the second division team Karlsruher SC (1:2).

In the Europa League, Leverkusen clearly failed in the round of 16 against Atalanta Bergamo (2: 3, 0: 1) from Italy.

The 0:2 (0:0) on Tuesday evening in the premier class at FC Porto was Seoane's last game on the touchline of the 1993 DFB Cup winner. The "Werkself" have been waiting for a title for that long.

Now a former Munich player takes over.

No longer coach of Bayer Leverkusen: Gerardo Seoane.

© IMAGO / Jan Huebner

Xabi Alonso before Bundesliga return – FC Bayern would be indirectly involved

Update from October 5th, 2.40 p.m .:

Bayer 04 Leverkusen fires their coach Gerardo Seoane, as reported by the

.

The successor should therefore be ex-Bayern player Xabi Alonso.

It would be the first professional coaching job for the 40-year-old Spaniard.

According to the Spanish newspaper

, the former world and European champion should receive a contract until the summer of 2024.

First report from October 5th, 12:42 p.m .:

Munich/Leverkusen – FC Bayern could have helped one of his ex-stars to get his first professional coaching job.

According to media reports, Xabi Alonso is the top candidate at Bayer 04 Leverkusen as a possible successor to Gerardo Seoane.

FC Bayern finished off Leverkusen 4-0 last Friday and dropped the Werkself into a direct relegation zone.

On Tuesday evening, the Rhinelanders conceded the next bankruptcy with the 0: 2 in the Champions League at FC Porto.

The Leverkusen board has already thought about the coaching position in advance - the choice may fall on Xabi Alonso.

Xabi Alonso: Ex-Bayern star as coach in Leverkusen in conversation

According to ESPN, Xabi Alonso is in the starting blocks as the successor to coach Gerardo Seoane in Leverkusen should the Swiss be released.

According to

information, the former Bayern midfielder is even the top favorite.

Alonso started his coaching career in the youth team of Real Madrid.

After a year, the Spaniard took over the second team from Real Sociedad for three seasons and has been without a job since the summer.

A new challenge for the 40-year-old could now come with his return to the Bundesliga.

Ex-Bayern player Xabi Alonso could return to the Bundesliga as a coach.

© Christian Kolb/Imago

Xabi Alonso is the top candidate to succeed Seoane

After the eighth defeat in the twelfth competitive game of the season, it is more than questionable whether Seoane will still be on the bench in the Bundesliga against Schalke on Saturday.

"I'm a pragmatic person.

In the end, it's the results that count," explained Leverkusen's managing director Fernando Carro recently and revealed in a

pass that they are already looking around for a possible successor if the crisis continues.

As a player, Xabi Alonso was seen as a leader and thinker in midfield.

With possession football and an attacking style of play, the world and European champions could breathe new life into the technically highly talented Leverkusen team.

The ambitious Werkself are already ten points behind the goal of qualifying for the Champions League again.

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge is also convinced of Alonso's coaching qualities.

"I believe that he will be a coach who may be of interest to FC Bayern at some point in the future," said the former Bayern boss in the

two years ago .

With a Bundesliga engagement in Leverkusen, Alonso could, to a certain extent, recommend himself for Bayern.

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Xabi Alonso: Bundesliga return thanks to FC Bayern?

Xabi Alonso ended his career as a player at Bayern Munich in 2017.

Pep Guardiola brought the Basque to Säbener Straße in the summer of 2014 shortly before the transfer from Real Madrid ended as a player of choice for midfield.

In three years Alonso played 117 games for Bayern and scored nine goals.

More than five years later, his former club could indirectly help him get his first coaching job.

Bayern regained the self-confidence they had lost after beating Leverkusen and also finished off Viktoria Pilsen in the Champions League.